Last season’s innovative rule change will remain in place, ensuring that no one runs away with the championship. Following the first nine events, the top six riders in the standings will qualify for “The Showdown” and become the “Title Fighters” for the remaining three events, battling it out to become champion. They will each be awarded 500 points, plus additional points for each podium they have achieved up to this point. Meanwhile the remaining riders will continue to contest the “British Superbike Riders’ Cup”.

As always race day at Brands Hatch will be broadcast live on British Eurosport on Bank Holiday Monday when you can join the commentator Jack Burnicle, who is once again joined by former BSB Champion James Witham.

Looking ahead to an exciting challenge for the championship, Witham says;

“There’s a lot of anticipation this year with riders returning to the championship, like former winner Shakey Byrne. He’s going to be quick, he’s tested really well and he’s with one of the top teams in HM Plant Honda. I think the fan’s favourite is Tommy Hill. After a good season last year, he’s swapped teams and he’s very confident.

“The defending champion Ryuichi Kiyonari is going to take some beating if he gets his eye in, but we know how fragile he can be, little things can put him off his stride so he’s by no means a firm favourite in the championship for me.”

One of the biggest stories pre-season is the arrival of former MotoGP rider American John Hopkins in the paddock and Whitham thinks he could be a contender;

“John Hopkins is a big coup for the championship. He’s a colourful character, he’s loud and he’s got the biggest baseball cap in the world! I can’t wait to see how he’s going to get to grips with the best, quirky British tracks. There’s no doubt the man has got the talent if he’s still got the fire in his belly and he can get his head around the circuits.”

Making history will be Jenny Tinmouth, the first ever female rider to contest the British Superbike Championship. Having finished third in the British Supersport Cup last season, Tinmouth also set a new record for the fastest lap by a female competitor at the Isle of Man TT event.

TV Times for Brands Hatch:

Monday 25 April
1230-1800 LIVE Race day on British Eurosport 2
2200-2330 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

Tuesday 26 April
1330-1430 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

Thursday 28 April
0830-0930 Highlights on British Eurosport
1930-2030 Highlights on British Eurosport 2
2030-2145 British Superbike Extra (support race highlights) on British Eurosport 2

Sunday 1 May
1730-1900 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

The Rally will be the first round of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the third consecutive year and IRC regulars Jan Kopecký, Freddy Loix, Bruno Magalhães and Thierry Neuville will all be competing.

British driver Guy Wilks finished sixth at last January’s Rally and having switched to Peugeot UK for an expanded IRC campaign in 2011, Wilks and navigator Phil Pugh represent Britain’s best chance of glory.

Runner-up at Monte Carlo last season, reigning IRC champion Juho Hanninen will contest the event as part of a selected programme of IRC events this season.

Day one features four challenging stages in the Ardeche and Haute Loire regions, including the longest two tests of the rally, the 36.87 kilometre Le Moulinon to Antraigues stage and the 41.06 kilometre Burzet to St Martial run.

Thursday’s action features two loops of the mountainous stages of Valence, separated by a service stop in the city. Following a final service halt in Valence on Friday morning, crews begin the 390 kilometre journey to Monaco via the last Drome stage, Montauban sur l’Ouveze to Eygalayes. From here only the leading 60 competitors at the completion of the Montauban sur l’Ouveze stage will be permitted to tackle the four night stages.

A mixture of aerial shots, on-board footage and ground-based cameras will provide 14 hours of coverage over the three days of competition, including live coverage of 12 stages, combined with regular highlights each evening.

British Eurosport commentators Carlton Kirby and Andrew Coley will be on-site throughout the event, taking viewers even closer to the action.

British Eurosport Monte Carlo Rally TV Schedule:

Wednesday 19 January

0900-1015 LIVE Stage 1 Le Moulinon – Antraigues on British Eurosport 2

1030-1145 LIVE Stage 2 Burzet – St Martial on British Eurosport 2

1300-1415 LIVE Stage 3 St Bonnet – St Bonnet on British Eurosport

1500-1615 LIVE Stage 4 St Bonnet – St Bonnet on British Eurosport

1845-1920 Highlights of Day 1 on British Eurosport

Thursday 20 January

1115-1300 LIVE Stage 5 St Jean en Royans – Carrefour des 3 routes & Stage 6 Cimetiere de Vassieux – Col de Gaudissart on British Eurosport 2

1500-1645 LIVE Stage 7 St Jean en Royans – Carrefour des 3 routes & Stage 8 Cimetiere de Vassieux – Col de Gaudissart on British Eurosport

1830-1900 Highlights of Day 2 on British Eurosport

Friday 21 January

1745-1945 {Highlights of Stage 9 Montauban sur l’Ouveze-Eygalayes} LIVE Stage 10 Moulinet – La Bollene-Vesubie & Stage 11 Lantosque – Luceram on British Eurosport

2200-0000 LIVE Stage 12 Moulinet – La Bollene-Vesubie & Stage 13 (final stage) Lantosque – Luceram on British Eurosport

Sunday 23 January

1845-1915 Monte Carlo Review on British Eurosport

Viewers can also follow all the action online via the Eurosport Player.

Talking about the challenges that lie ahead in the coming season Rossi gives an update on his physical condition following the shoulder surgery at the end of 2010 and when we can expect to see him back to full fitness.

He gives his views on the task that faces him in the season ahead with the pressure of moving to a new team and what can be expected in the year ahead.

Ducati teammate Nicky Hayden also speaks about how he hopes 2011 will be an improved season and what it will be like having Rossi as a teammate.

See the British Eurosport Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden interviews here.

Eurosport UK’s deal creates a full weekend of live coverage featuring the pre-race practice and qualifying sessions for the 125cc class, Moto2 (formerly 250cc class) and MotoGP as well as the live 125cc and Moto2 races.

As they have done since 2009 British Eurosport will continue to show all the MotoGP races in full but delayed by one hour after the start of the live race.

The 2011 season will also see the return of popular commentary team for MotoGP Toby Moody and Julian Ryder who will be on-site for the opening round of 2011 in Qatar and cover all the European rounds for Eurosport.

Eurosport UK’s Managing Director, David Kerr said: “Renewing our deal to broadcast MotoGP is great news for fans of the sport. We have been able to provide a very comprehensive package of coverage around race weekends which give them access to all the practices and qualifying in full. Motorcycle racing is an important part of Eurosport’s programming and I am pleased the loyal and passionate fans who follow our coverage can continue to do so to the same level in 2011.”

The deal continues to reinforce the channel’s position as the leading broadcaster of motorcycle racing in the UK market with live and exclusive rights to the MCE British Superbike and World Superbike Championships respectively, alongside the MotoGP coverage.

This weekend saw three races at the Snetterton circuit with the re-run of Race 2 from the Knockhill round of the championship taking place on Saturday and the two races from round seven going ahead as scheduled on the Sunday.

Race 1 (re-run of Knockhill race two – Saturday)

The HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes took the chequered flag in the re-run of the cancelled Knockhill race 2 on Saturday after passing his team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari on the final lap.

Kiyonari had dominated the race from the flag ahead of the Relentless Suzuki pairing of Michael Laverty and Alastair Seeley.  Tommy Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki had soon moved into third position passing both Relentless Suzuki riders as he chased down the leading HM Plant Honda duo.

Brookes was sitting in ninth place by the end of the first lap after a terrible start but by the seventh lap had passed Seeley, Michael Rutter and Laverty and was up to third place.  The HM Plant Honda rider was soon attacking Hill, passing him on the inside at Riches before going after his team-mate.  Kiyonari was defending his position but Brookes managed to make his way past on the final lap again at Riches to take his third win of the season.

Hill finished in third place ahead of Rutter in fourth, Seeley in fifth, Michael Laverty in sixth, James Ellison in seventh, Simon Andrews in eighth, Gary Mason in ninth and Tommy Bridewell in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. Josh Brookes  AUS HM Plant Honda  19mins 41.650s
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +0.594s
3. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +4.475s
4. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +4.989s
5. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +5.485s
6. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +5.889s
7. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +9.148s
8. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +11.305s
9. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +14.364s
10. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +14.386s
11. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +14.698s
12. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +15.007s
13. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +17.458s
14. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +28.761s
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +28.933s

25. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda 5 laps completed
26. Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia 0 laps completed

Race One - Snetterton

It was Michael Rutter on the RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati that took to the lead as the opening race got underway ahead of Tommy Hill, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Michael Laverty and James Ellison.

Brookes was back in sixth place by the end of lap one despite claiming pole position in the Swan Combi Roll for Pole after another iffy start.  By the fourth lap the HM Plant Honda rider had moved up to third while his team-mate Kiyonari was forced to retire from the race following a mechanical problem.

Hill had fallen back down the field running behind both Seeley and Ellison but was soon looking to make a pass on the Swan Honda rider which he succeeded in doing to finish the race in second place.

By lap 7, Brookes had passed second place man Hill before being gifted the lead 7 laps later when Rutter was seen slowing down with a gear shift problem on the Ducati.

Hill finished in second place followed by Seeley in third, Ellison in fourth, Michael Laverty in fifth, Tommy Bridewell in sixth, Chris Walker in seventh, Stuart Easton in eighth, Simon Andrews in ninth and John Laverty rounding off the top ten riders.

Here are the results;

1.  Josh Brookes  AUS HM Plant Honda  24mins 13.327s
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +1.472s
3. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +2.740s
4. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +3.757s
5. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +4.152s
6. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +15.640s
7. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +17.779s
8. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +18.417s
9. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +18.860s
10. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +19.131s
11. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +21.546s
12. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +21.838s
13. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +32.999s
14. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +34.969s
15. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +44.072s

DNS Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia
DNS Luke Jones GBR PR Racing Yamaha

Race Two

Josh Brookes was denied his third win of the weekend after a technical problem occurred seeing him retiring from the race on lap 12.

It was the Swan Honda of James Ellison that took to the front of the pack as the race got underway ahead of Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonari.

By lap 3, Kiyonari squeezed his way through on Michael Laverty before passing his team-mate Brookes seven laps later.  On lap 9, the Honda rider had managed to get past the leading Swan Honda rider Ellison as they headed into Riches.  Brookes was hot on the tail of his team-mate until he was forced to retire from the race.

Kiyonari was leading the race 1.3 seconds ahead of Michael Laverty, Rutter and Ellison until Alastair Seeley attempted a pass on Ellison taking them both out of the race.

Michael Laverty made a move on the leading man only to run wide and lose his second position to a stalking Tommy Hill.  Rutter finished in fourth place ahead of John Laverty in fifth, Simon Andrews in sixth, Chris Walker in seventh, Andrew Pitt in eighth, Gary Mason in ninth and Yukio Kagayama in tenth.

Here are the results;

1.  Ryuichi Kiyonari  JPN HM Plant Honda  26mins 52.964s
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +0.591s
3. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +0.954s
4. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +1.584s
5. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +3.897s
6. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +4.899s
7. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +6.127s
8. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +8.211s
9. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +8.349s
10. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +9.566s
11. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha 10.663s
12. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +12.146s
13. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +16.226s
14. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +17.302s
15. Hudson Kennaugh RSA Splitlath Aprilia +17.607s

DNS James Edmeades GBR Redline KTM
DNS Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia
DNS Luke Jones GBR PR Racing Yamaha

Many of today’s F1 drivers have made the step up from the ‘feeder’ series of GP2, in fact eleven of the current Formula 1 grid have previously raced in GP2.

Former GP2 champions include Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Timo Glock and last years winner Nico Hulkenberg who joined the Williams team for his debut F1 season.

In turn the newly formed GP3 is considered a ‘feeder’ for Gp2, and the new series launches this weekend for the first time ever at Barcelona.

British Eurosport will broadcast both races from GP2 and GP3, with LIVE coverage from each series.

Saturday 8 May
1830-1930 GP2 race one on British Eurosport 2

Sunday 9 May
0800-0830 GP3 race one on British Eurosport
0830-0900 LIVE GP3 race two on British Eurosport
0935-1025 LIVE GP2 race two on British Eurosport
1930-2000 GP3 race two on British Eurosport

For fans of the often more exciting two wheeled action, the fifth round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship comes from the Monza track in Italy.

Following two all British podiums in the last round at Assen, UK fans will not want to miss out on this one. British Eurosport coverage starts on Saturday with Superpole and live action from the Superstock 600 series.

Both World Superbike races will be broadcast from start to finish on Sunday. Joining Eurosport presenter Tony Carter in the WSB studio will be former rider James Haydon and current BSB series leader Tommy Hill, while commentary will come from Jack Burnicle and James Whitham.

Saturday 8 May – Superbike World Championship
1400-1500 LIVE Superpole on British Eurosport 2
1700-1730 LIVE Superstock 600 on British Eurosport 2

Sunday 9 May – Superbike World Championship
0930-1530 LIVE race day on British Eurosport 2
1100-1200 LIVE race one on Eurosport HD
1700-1745 Race two on Eurosport HD

Jimmy Hill – MAP Centurion Triumph Team 2010

The Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship took place at the Hampshire circuit of Thruxton last weekend, resulting in a tough round two for the MAP Centurion Triumph team.

Jimmy Hill was wiped out of 2^nd position on lap eight of the 14 lap race and his team-mate Josh Caygill gained his best ever result in the Championship of eighth place.

Jimmy Hill had been working hard over the weekend and was consistently in the top four throughout the weekend and was eager to gain another podium position to follow on from his win at Brands Hatch a couple of weeks ago. The youngster ended up qualifying the MAP Centurion Triumph in second place on the grid, his first front row start of the season.

Jimmy got a fantastic start and was soon leading the pack but Josh Day made an impressive pass and further went onto win the race by 11 seconds. Jimmy was locked in a fraught battle for second place and the bunch were swapping paintwork on most laps. Jimmy finally made a break on lap eight but had his rear wheel clipped by Nikki Coates into the first corner causing Jimmy to have a massive high-side.

A battered Hill said “I’m really gutted to have lost out as it’s really difficult to make up points in this Championship. The MAP Centurion Triumph team worked really hard all weekend and I hit a patch of oil this morning in warm up and went down and did some damage to the bike, Brad, my crew chief worked really hard to make sure I got out on track for the race. I got a great start and Josh Day came round the outside of me and just was gone in the distance, I got my head down and finally got into second place after a real battle and I was eager to make a break when I was clipped from behind and it threw me over the bars and that was my race done, gutted!”

On the other hand Josh Caygill struggled during qualifying and ended up in 16^th position on the grid only one second off his team-mate Jimmy. A brilliant start saw Josh lying in 13^th place after the opening lap and as the freight train unveiled Josh was in amongst it, with only two seconds separating second to 12^th place it was anyone’s race. Josh worked extremely hard to make his way through the pack and after a few incidents and some confident passing manoeuvres Josh secured a stunning eighth position.

A delighted Caygill said “It’s been a long old weekend and I got injured here last year so I just wanted to make sure I didn’t get mixed up in it all at the start and wanted to have a good battle and get a good result for the MAP Centurion Triumph team. I’m made up with the result but gutted for Jimmy getting taken out as it would have been a great result for the team. It was carnage out there and I just wanted to try and stay out of the melee and just kept pushing hard. The laps went pretty quickly and I was moving positions on every lap, I didn’t even know what position I was in so was over the moon when I was told at the end!”

The MotoGP races will be delayed by one hour from the actual start of the race and will broadcast in full.

Fans’ favourite commentary duo Toby Moody and Julian Ryder will be back behind the mic this year, bringing fans up to speed with all the action as the championship unfolds.

Valentino Rossi will be chasing an incredible eighth premier class title this season and Toby Moody thinks “The Doctor” is looking just as quick as ever:

“After pre-season testing, Valentino Rossi once again looks uncatchable. In my eyes Casey Stoner looks to be as strong as he has ever been this year, so that should give us a continuation of what happened two years ago in 2008, when the pair were at each others throats until Laguna Seca. Stoner has won in Qatar for the last three years so in theory this will be his race but with Rossi looking as strong as ever, the Italian will not be far behind, it’s going to be very close. Bring on the floodlights!”

Last season’s World Superbike champion Ben Spies will also be confident he can make an impact, the American has posted a series of consistently competitive lap times in pre-season tests and will be hoping to triumph in his maiden season. Moody thinks the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider could be the man to turn Superbike success into triumph at the highest level:

“This will be the opportunity for Ben Spies to show MotoGP that World Superbike champions can be the quickest; he has the opportunity to show them that World Superbike champions can win and I genuinely think he can do that. We’ve had race winners in the past but I think Spies can do it consistently.”

Britain’s Bradley Smith will start the 125cc season as a hot favourite for the title. The 19-year-old Bancaja Aspar rider finished runner-up to team mate Julian Simon last year but following Simon’s departure for Moto2, Smith will now be the man to beat:

“Bradley Smith will obviously start as championship favourite and he’s got to manage that pressure and keep it cool, but with a bit of luck we should have a British world champion this year and I really think he can do it,” said Moody.

In the new Moto2 class, which replaces 250cc, Scott Redding will fly the flag for Britain.

Round One – Qatar:
Friday 9 April
1800-1915 LIVE 125cc practice session on British Eurosport
1915-2030 LIVE Moto2 practice session on British Eurosport
2030-2130 LIVE MotoGP practice session on British Eurosport

Saturday 10 April
2000-2045 LIVE125cc qualifying on British Eurosport
2045-2210 LIVE MotoGP qualifying on British Eurosport
2210-2255 LIVE Moto2 qualifying on British Eurosport

Sunday 11 April (Race Day)
1715-1745 MotoGP warm-up on British Eurosport 2
1745-1915 LIVE125cc on British Eurosport 2
1915-2030 LIVE Moto2 on British Eurosport 2
2215-2345 MotoGP on British Eurosport 2

Chris Walker

It has been announced that Chris Walker has signed a last minute deal to ride in the British Superbike Championship on a privately run Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the 2010 season.

Walker will once again be up against rival Neil Hodgson, with hopefully a repeat of the battle that took place in 2000 when the pair fought against each other for the wins round-after-round.

The machine is said to be the ex-Rutter Suzuki GSX-R1000 TT, prepared by the top tuning man Ray Stringer and Walker has said to the MCN;

“I’m delighted to be on the grid again this year. Ray came along with the offer of this Suzuki at the very last minute and it was the perfect opportunity for me. We’ve missed out on testing but we will be getting more competitive as the season goes. There’s a big chance we’ll get a significant improvement in our machinery within a few rounds – but even with the bike we’ve got, we’re not giving anything away.”

With two returning champions and an exciting new rule change, this season looks set to one of the most competitive ever, if that is possible given the fantastic excitement and racing of previous championships.

British Eurosport will be on hand to offer exclusive coverage of the series, starting with extensive live coverage, interviews and expert reaction as the races unfold at Brands Hatch on Monday April 5th.

Among the studio guests will be Brands local boy and last years dominant British Superbike champion Leon Camier.

Camier ran away with the 2009 championship, setting a new record of 14 race wins in a season and wrapping up the title with one round to go. The Kent rider has since moved up to the World Superbike Championship with the Aprilia Alitalia Racing team and is currently eighth in the standings after a promising start to the season.

Returning to his home circuit this Easter weekend, Camier will join presenter Tony Carter, fellow former BSB champion James Whitham, former BSB and WSB rider James Haydon and commentator Jack Burnicle as part of the Eurosport team throughout the day.

A major new rule change for the 2010 series will ensure no one runs away with the championship this season. Following the first nine events, the top six riders in the standings will qualify for “The Showdown” and become the “Title Fighters” for the remaining three events, battling it out to become champion. They will each be awarded 500 points, plus additional points for each podium they have achieved up to this point. Meanwhile the remaining riders will continue to contest the “British Superbike Riders’ Cup”.

Eurosport pundit and former BSB and WSB rider James Haydon thinks these changes will add to the excitement of the championship and believes fans are in for a real treat;

“I think this season is going to be a cracker! The dominant champion Leon Camier has left, we have new entertaining rules and some big guns returning from overseas – think Hodgson, Kiyonari and Kagayama – awesome. Yet on the flip side we have some raw, young talent bursting through and eager to prove themselves. It will be tight with at least eight people capable of winning races. I can’t wait for it to start!”

James Whitham agrees and thinks there are a number of riders in the running for the title;

“I think this season will be quite open, unlike last year which turned into a one-horse race, I can’t see any one rider dominating this time. My tip would be Josh Brookes, the HM Plant Honda rider is tough and aggressive and with the experience he built up last season, he will be keen to stamp his authority on the series.

Worx Suzuki’s Tommy Hill is also unbelievably tough, he’s like a terrier. He’s such a tenacious rider, I think he’d get round even if you took one of his wheels off! You can never discount him.
Neil Hodgson is returning from this States this year and riding for Motorpoint Yamaha. He’s won before, albeit ten years ago, but he’s not back to play around and he should have the credentials to do the job.
An outside bet is the other Motorpoint Yamaha rider, Dan Linfoot. He’s blindingly fast and although I wouldn’t back him for the championship, he’ll be a thorn in the established rider’s sides this season.

Brands Hatch is the amphitheatre of motor racing, it’s the traditional opening round and it’s popular with both fans and riders. It’s a beautiful circuit, it’s got a bit of everything – ups, downs, fast corners – a really interesting ride and most of the guys on the grid will know it well.”

Round One – Brands Hatch:

Monday 5 April
1230-1730 LIVE on British Eurosport 2
2100-2230 Highlights on British Eurosport 2
2330-0100 Highlights on British Eurosport

Tuesday 6 April
1500-1630 Highlights on British Eurosport 2
1900-2030 Highlights on British Eurosport 2
Wednesday 7 April
0900-0930 Race One on British Eurosport 2
0930-1000 Race Two on British Eurosport 2
1200-1300 Highlights on British Eurosport
1730-1830 Highlights on British Eurosport 2